Apparatus for emptying chocolate molds or the like



Nov. 26, 1940. M. HEIDELMEYER APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING CHOCOLATE MOLDS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. l, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR EMPTYIN G CHOCOLATE MOLDS R THE LIKE Max Heidelmeyer, Niedersedlitz, Germany Application August 1, 1939, Serial No. 287,834 In Germany August 5, 1938 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-11) This invention relates to apparatus for emptyto make them suitable for use with the new lng chocolate moms or the like, apparatus without departure from the usual The molds filled with chocolate mass or the shape. like are subjected to a cooling operation, being The grippers formed as magnet bodies render 5 conveyed on a continuous track through a corit possible, by an extension rigidly connected respondingly arranged cooling apparatus. thereto, to ensure the horizontal position of the 5 The invention is concerned with the problem molds to the turning station and after turning of gripping mechanically th molds coming from to ensure again the horizontal position, suited the cooling apparatus or the like, leading them for emptying the molds. For this purpose guide lo to a turning station, turning them over and derails on which the extensions run need be aspositing them after emptying the molds. sociated with the guide track only at the sta- For the solution of this problem the invention tions in question. makes use of an endless conveyor, for exam- In any case the magnet bodies pass through ple conveyor chains, on which are rotatably v the whole apparatus in a continuous path, so mounted magnet bodies, which grip metal or that the conveyor can be moved continuously at 15' metal-lined molds advanced to a stop. The uniform speed, which is necessary for a rapid magnet bodies have controlling extensions and delivery, i. e. for a correspondingly great output controlling rails are associated with the conveyor suited to the Working capacity of the cooling chains on which the extensions run in such apparatus, quite apart from the fact that intermanner that the molds on being seized and conmittently moved conveyor chains with grippers 20 veyed to the reversing station assume a subtake too much power and-Wear out much too stantially horizontal position. At the reversing rapidly. station means are provided in known manner The apparatus permits of jolting the guide which in the molds being turned prevent their rails for the extensions of the magnet bodies, contents from falling out of the molds. After When the molds are turned and also of jolting the turning operation the magnet bodies, which the turned molds, so that the emptying operahold the molds as before, are again so controlled tion proceeds smoothly.' by means of their extensions and guide rails The release of the molds held by the magnet that the turned mold again lies approximately bodies is effected simply, since the magnet bodies horizontal and the chocolate bodies (tablets, with the molds adhering thereto need only be 30 pralines or the like) fall out vof them and can led past a stripper which draws off the molds4v be taken up by supporting plates, these supportand delivers them/to a conveyor belt, which reing plates being moved during the emptying 0D- turns these molds to the station where ruling eration in the same direction and with the same again takes place.

3.', speed as the molds at a suitable distance be- In the accompanying drawing one embodiment 35 neath them. The magnet bodies then take the of the new apparatus is illustrated:

molds with them to a station, where by means Fig, 1 being a, side View and Fig, 2 a plan 0f a Shop the molds are stripped from the mag- The filled molds-the embodiment deals with net bodies which in endless circulation of the molds l, which each contain four chocolate tab- 40 conveyor chains or the like carrying them TB- lets-pass to a track 3 suitably inclined and turn to the station where they again take 11p a tted in known manner with rollers 2 from the mold coming from the cooling apparatus. cooling apparatus and finally pass to the angle The use of the metallic bodies serving as griD- irons -4 arranged at both sides of the track pers is particularly advantageous, because the forming a continuation of the roller track, which usual countless molds can be used without alangle irons are provided at their free ends with teration, since the magnet bodies formed for upturned portions 5 which act as stops.

example as bars and bearing on the undersides The roller track with its lateral cheeks 6 is of the molds do not require the molds to be so dimensioned that these cheeks are at a disformed with wider edges or other means with tance apart which corresponds to the greatest which jaw-shaped or similarly shaped grippers width of mold; however s'hiftable cheeks 1 are 50 must engage. Even when the molds are formed inserted in the track, which extend to the from articial resin or like material, they need outlet end of the track, reducing the intermeonly be provided at the part in question, for dlate space, and with which the guide rails 4 example at the bottom with ametal lining (which are combined, so that at the end of the track can be inserted in making themold) in order the molds meet a guide corresponding to their width. The means for shifting the intermediate cheeks 1 are not shown in the drawing and may be any suitable means.

The molds coming onto the roller track are 5 held in a quite deiinite position by the stops 5 and held here ready for the mechanical feeding.

The frame 3 of the new apparatus carries a number of guide rollers 9, IIJ, I I, I2 and I3, which are formed as sprocket wheels.4 Asis evident from Fig. 2, two such sprocket wheels are always provided at the same level opposite one another, so that they carry two chains extending parallel to one another.

The drive is effected from the belt pulley I4, on the shaft I5 on which are mounted the two' sprocket wheels II. The sprocket wheels are carried by the bearing brackets I6.

The two endless conveyor chains continuously moved in the same direction and with the same' speed carry at regular distances apart the magnet bodies I1, two magnet bodies formed as bars being secured to a cross bar I8. This cross bar has lateral brackets I9, into the longitudinal bores of which project pivots 20, which are arranged on the chain members 2I. The magnet bodies with their support I8 can turn about these pivots. The supports I8 have in addition on each side an inclined extension 22, which is connected rigidly with the support and at its free end carries a loose rotatable roller 23.

In order to straighten the magnet bodies, which the chain wheels 9 have-passed, so that they assume a horizontal or approximately horizontal position, the vertically disposed guide rails 24 are provided on which the rollers 23 bear due to the weight of the magnet bodies, which would make a corresponding swinging movement. Accordingly the magnets are held positively in the horizontal position in the movement from the sprocket wheel 9 to the sprocket wheeel I0 lying above it. In order that the chain 25 will not come off, U-shaped vertically disposed guides 26 are provided between the sprockets 9 and I0, in which the chain members are vertically guided:

The bar shaped magnet bodies I1 on the upward movement of the chain engage beneath the foremost metallic mold held by the stops 5 in the ready for use position, which mold is held by magnetic action to the magnet bodies.

In the region of the upper sprocket I0 curved guide rails 21 are provided, the lower sides of which are engaged by the rollers 23 on the eX- tensions 22 and on passage of the chains over the sprockets IIJ ensure that the magnet bars I1 maintain their horizontalv position, i. e. retain the molds carried thereby in the horizontal position. I

The guide 21 continues horizontally as the part 28, so that also in the continued passage of the horizontal chain trackthe magnet bars are held in the horizontal position with the molds carried thereby, until they reach the point of reversal at the vsprocket II. I'he sprockets II are. provided with a supporting drum 29, on the periphery of which the magnet bodies I1 bear with their reversel sides. 'I'hese drums may consist of non-magnetic material such as brass, artificial resin, hard-wood or the like. 'I'hese drums ensure that-thel magnet bodies are straightened with the molds. and then turned. In order to avoidpremature emptying of the molds, a band 30 of .linen fabric or the like is provided, the lower end of which lis secured at 3| beneath the sprocket II at a suitable distance therefrom and to the other end of which springs 32 are connected, which -are carried by the part 33 of the frame. These springs tend to pull the band, made according to the width of the molds, con-F tinuously towards the sprockets. Consequently, the band on the springs 32 being stretched lies von the molds and covers them and safely holds thecontents of the molds within them. Damage of the mold contents is thus prevented.

When the mold in question is iinally turned, as one mold is shown in Fig. 1, the chains now running horizontally pull this mold fromthe band past 'the point 3|, so that the contents of the molds with the open side turned downwards can be discharged. The extensions 22 or their rollers 23 are brought into engagement with horizontally disposed guide rails 34, so that also here the molds in overturned position remain horizontal during the further feeding and discharge.

The rails 34 are formed as a jolting device as shown and any known kind of jolting device can be used. For example the rails 34 can be resiliently suspended and moved up and down in jerks, i. e. can be jolted by cam discs acting thereon.

At a suitable distance under the overturned molds extends an endless conveyor belt, which is formed in known manner with two chains with 'plates carried thereby. The plates 35'are secured to the chains 36 at their forward end at 31 and the chains pass over the sprocket wheels 33 and 39. At their rear ends the plates 35 are provided with pins 40 and with these pins they run on guide rails 4I and 42. On leaving the guides the pins 40 come into engagement with an auxiliary wheel 43'or 44, which is -provided with corresponding pockets on its periphery, in which the pins engage and ensure that on reversal of the chains the plates 35 continuously keep their horizontal position. The supporting wheels 43 and 44 are driven by auxiliary chains 45 and 45. The whole of the drive is taken from the belt pulley- I4 by means of the sprocket wheels 41, 48 and the chain 49 led thereover, and the gearing 50, lensuring that the direction of feed of the chain `36 will coincide with the direction of feed of the chain 25 which carries the magnet bodies.

In the embodiment shown, the plates 35 are of such length that they grip each two turned molds and accordingly the contents ofy tv.'f` molds can be discharged on to each plate 35. The chocolate bodies deposited on the plates 35 are first carried to the left in the direction of Fig. 1,

then thel plates move downwards and are moved to the right, then they pass to the right hand turning point again upwards and pass into the right hand position seen in Fig. 2, where the4 By the guide rails 56 the magnet bodies an also the molds carried thereby are again straightened, so that the chain extending horizontally between the sprockets I3 and 9 moves with it the magnet rails I1 with the molds in horizontal position. In the path of the molds carried by the magnet bodies I1 is provided a projection51 in the form of a vertically extending bar arranged between the guide rails 56. With thisprojection 5 contacts the end of the mold carrying the "magnet body, and this mold is held fast by the projection, i. e. is stripped ofl on the further movement of the magnet body. It falls on an endless conveyor band 58, which runs over the roller 59, and is fed on this conveyor band for example to the position where the mold is filled again.

The guide rails 56 terminate in a downwardly inclined part 60 on which the pins 53 slide and from which they finally slide so that on the arrival at the sprocket wheel 9 the freed magnet bodies with their extensions 22 or their rollers 23 can again engage with the vertical guide rails 24 or their lower bent ends 6 I. Y

The operations now commence again.

In order to ensure that the molds l coming on the roller track 3 will pass tothe stop 5, the fol-I lowing arrangement is provided.

On the shaft of the guide roller 9 is arranged a sprocket wheel 62, over which the chain 63 is 5 led, which drives by means of the sprocket wheel 64 a shaft 65 mounted on the frame 8. On this shaft is secured a crank disc pulley 66 with a pin 61. The pin 61, which projects from the side of the crankdisc 66 mounted on the end of the shaft 65, engages in a slot 68 of a control lever 69. The control lever rotatable about the pivot 'l0 is thus moved to and fro thereon'. The free end of this control lever carries a plunger 1|, which runs with a roller 12 on guide rails 13. On the forward end of the plunger is provided a spring 14.

In the region of the lateral guide rails 4 for the molds l are mounted magnet bodies 15 in such manner that the metallic mold coming from the/ roller track 3V is held to this magnet body. i The backwardly moving lever 69 now leads the spring 14 into the path of the forward'end of 'the mold I secured by the magnet body. The spring is rst pressed downwards, then snaps with its overturned'end 16 behind the frame of the mold. In the succeeding swinging of the control lever 69 the mold is drawn from the magnet body and brought forwards, so that it bears against the stop 5 of the guide rails 4, i. e. in the correct position, in which the magnet rails' l1 can take il) with them the mold.

'I'he oscillation ofthe control lever 69 is so effected by the drive of the 'shaft 65, that a mold is brought each time into the ready position be-` tween two magnet bodies. 'l .I claim:

l. Apparatus for emptying chocolate molds or the like coming from a cooling apparatus including an endless conveyor, said conveyor presenting a receiving station for the molds, a turning station for reversing the molds, magnet bodies mounted to pivot on said conveyor for seizing molds fed from the cooling apparatus to the re ceiving station, extensions secured to said magnet bodies, guide means disposed adjacent the light-s of said endless conveyor for co-operation with said guide means to control the magnet bodies, said guide means so controlling the magnet bodies that the molds gripped-thereby are fed in the horizontal position to the turning station and after being inverted to empty the molds are again held in the horizontal position and stripping means for stripping the molds when emptied from the magnet bodies. f

2. Apparatus for emptying chocolate molds or the like coming from a cooling apparatus including an endless conveyor, said conveyor presenting a receiving station for the molds, `a turning station for reversing the molds, magnet bodies mounted to pivot on said conveyor for seizing molds fed from the cooling apparatus to the receiving station, extensions secured to said magnet bodies, guide means disposed adjacent the flights of said endless conveyor for co-operation with said guide means to control the magnet bodies, a portion of said guide means arranged as a jolting means to empty the molds, said guide' means so controlling the magnet bodies that the molds gripped thereby are fed inthe horizontal position to the turning station and after being inverted to empty the molds are again heldin the horizontal position and stripping means for stripping the molds when emptied from the magnet bodies.

3. Apparatus for emptying chocolatemolds or the like coming from acooling apparatus including an endless conveyor, said conveyor presenting a receiving station for the molds, a turning stationl for reversing theA molds, magnet bodies mounted to pivot on said conveyor for seizing 'front of the receiving station in the direction of travel of the conveyor engaging and straightening. the' magnet bodies and leading them to mold stripping means, said guide means so "controlling the magnet bodies that the molds gripped thereby are fedin the horizontal position to the turning station and after being inverted to empty theA molds are again held in the horizontal position MAX HEIDELMEYER.

' and stripping means for stripping the molds when emptied from the magnet bodies. i

. 40 molds fed from the cooling apparatus to the re v 

